Sports Roundtable – Oct. 21

Rams running back Adrian Charles is on pace to become the first 1,000-yard rusher in team history. Will Charles be playing professional football one day?
Jonathan Hamelin: The closest Rams running back to run for 1,000 yards was Neal Hughes. He is now a productive player for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Seeing that Charles is having similar success, I would think he will definitely make the CFL. I would love to see him play for the Riders and give the team an actual running threat.

Colin Buchinski: 1,000 yards is an absolutely fantastic accomplishment. I have no doubt that Charles will one day play in the CFL. The Rams have been a treat to watch this year and he has been a large contributor to that.

Nathan Liewicki: This season, Charles has been running like CJ2K did last season with the Tennessee Titans, so I see nothing but a promising professional career for the Scarborough native. And by professional, I mean an NFL career. He’s way too good for the CFL.

Autumn McDowell: After talking with Charles, I truly hope that one day he will be. If anyone deserves a shot at playing pro, it’s him. The major knock against him is going to be his size, but the guy is unreal so he definitely has the potential if that’s what he wants.
Matthew Blackwell: Absolutely. There have been less talented players in the past to make it to the big leagues. At the very least, Charles will be playing somewhere in the CFL in the next couple of years. Fingers crossed for Saskatchewan.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have a slim chance at first after their 34-26 loss to the Calgary Stampeders last week. Can the Riders bounce back?

Hamelin: The sad thing is, there is really no point in these last three games. Unless the Riders win out and Calgary losses out, nothing will be determined. Saskatchewan and Calgary both have home playoff games for sure. I was pretty confident in victory after the Riders came out so hot in the loss to Calgary. However, it slowly fell apart.

Buchinski: As a huge Rider fan and a season ticket holder of 16 years, I have to be optimistic and say yes, they’ll definitely bounce back. However, I also must add that I have absolutely no idea why this coaching staff is so reluctant to make changes. Get rid of Daley already. Has he ever been a part of a winning organization? The answer is NO.

Liewicki: The Riders can and likely will bounce back with wins against the Eskimos and Lions, but the Stamps have proven to be the frontrunners in the CFL West. Thus, the Riders have a zero percent chance at winning their division.

McDowell: I sure as hell hope so. Even if we don’t get first, if we develop a run defence I’ll be happy.

Blackwell: The Riders looked astoundingly mediocre in that game. If the Riders are going to challenge for first, they need to put together a full game – not just two quarters. And I’m pretty done with Jim Daley. Our special teams haven’t looked this bad in years.

Regina’s Jordan Eberle has enjoyed success so far during his rookie campaign with the Edmonton Oilers. If you weren’t already, is this enough to make you cheer for Edmonton?

Hamelin: Anyone who has read enough of my work knows how anti-Edmonton I am. With that being said, how can you not be happy for Eberle. I think I’ll cheer just for Eberle and not the Oilers. Basically, I hope Eberle scores 50 goals this season and Edmonton finishes at the bottom of the league,

Buchinski: I’m definitely excited about the Oilers. Jordan Eberle is one of the most exciting players I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. He is absolutely clutch. The Oilers are going to be a fantastic squad in 3-4 years and he’s going to play a huge part in their success. He probably should have dumped that puck into the corner though.
Liewicki: For those that don’t already know, I'm from Edmonton and the Oilers are my team. As it relates to my boy Eberle, if you haven’t already seen the unreal goal he scored in the season opener, check it out. No. 14 is a star in the making.
McDowell: Well, seeing as how I was already cheering for Edmonton, Jordan is just extra. Of course, it’s nice to have a hometown kid to cheer for and the young gun combination of Jordan, Hall, and Paajarvi is definitely worth a look.

Blackwell: I’ve never been one to hate on Canadian teams (except the Leafs). We’re in a good place in Saskatchewan where we can pick and choose our teams. So this just cements Edmonton as my … third most favourite team.
As of Sunday, the Toronto Maple Leafs were 4-0-0. Is it time to start planning the Stanley Cup parade?

Hamelin: If I cheered for the Maple Leafs I would stop watching Leafs games. That way, I would remember them as an unbeaten team. It is only a matter of time before the losses start piling up and Maple Leaf fans start saying: “Next year will be our year.”
Buchinski: I’m going to be blunt and say NO. The Toronto Maple Leafs lack of offensive power up front will catch up with them very quickly. They will miss the playoffs this year. You heard it here first. Don’t worry, Leafs fans, you can still watch Tyler Seguin play come April.
Liewicki: Four straight wins to kick off one’s NHL season is impressive – especially since the Toronto Maple Leafs have done it. Will it last? We’re taking about the Leafs. You know, the Leafs. We’re taking about the Leafs. The Leafs!

McDowell: No way. Sure, they are off to a good start, but there are still 78 games left to play, meaning there is still plenty of time left for them to blow it. It would be nice if they were a contender this year, but I’m not expecting much.

Blackwell: No way. They may look OK now, but give them a few months and they’ll find a way to screw it up somehow. They certainly look better than they have in the past, but my inner Habs fan is resolved to see them fail.

Brett Favre has made the news for all the wrong reasons lately. It is said that in the past he sent inappropriate text messages and pictures of his genitalia to a New York Jets female employee. Thoughts?

Hamelin: What a mess! After the whole Tiger Woods fiasco, this is really the last thing the world of professional sports needs. It is really a shame to people who look up to these athletes. They can no longer look to them for role models. It just shows that while they might be great athletes, it doesn’t mean they’re great people.
Buchinski: I’m not even going to touch this one with a fifty-foot pole, but on a totally unrelated note, the NFL’s social media policy is garbage. The fines for tweeting before the game are excessive and not at all necessary.

Liewicki: Oh Favre! First, you can’t get enough of competition on the field, now you can’t get enough of the competition off the field. I guess that’s what you get when you left the cozy confines of Lambeau in favour of becoming “Mr. Broadway” in the Big Apple.

McDowell: Disgusting. I mean, what a weird guy. He can sling a football like none other but I mean, come on. With that said, go Vikings!